Respect for Rory MacDonald

Rory is not in my top-10 favorite fighters and I didn't particularly enjoy last night's fight with Ellenberger.

But I have to give respect where it's due. He completely neutralized one of the most dangerous fighters in the division. Ellenberger couldn't even get close and had no idea what to do. That, of course, led to a ****** fight, but Rory still demonstrated how elite a fighter he has become. The precise jab, the distance, the footwork... he's a handful.

Will he fight his training partner GSP? I don't know.
If he does fight GSP, will he win? I don't know.

But GSP won't be around forever and I think with Rory we're looking at the champion-to-be. Respect to Rory and we all better get used to him being around for a long while.

If I had to bet all my money on who will be a future champion in the UFC, it's Rory MacDonald. The fight wasn't spectacular, but I can always appreciate effective performance in MMA.

Would it be fair to assume I'm in the minority that enjoy Rory Mac's Patrick Bateman type persona along with his naturally robotic demeanor? Oh well. The Reign of Rory is coming. It would be wise to just accept it and learn to embrace the guy.

I don't really like him or anything, but i find his personality funny. His call out to Condit after he beat BJ was so awkward it was hilarious.

The real question is when the **** is Rory going to turn heel? He's already set himself up for it.

Rorys a good fighter, and he should be, Zahabis the best mma coach in the world right now, that gameplan was perfect for ellenbergers style. He is the future, but IMO if hes gonna be content with winning fights that way, instead of using his full potential, and mixing it up more against heavy handers like jake, do we really want another "safe" champion at WW? Im tired of it, I get it GSP, your awesome, now finish somebody damn you

* Edited at 07.28.2013, 5:17 PM ET *

I agree we probably have to get used to him at least until they find all those dead bodies...

* Edited at 07.28.2013, 5:19 PM ET *

Play nice, Swickotine.

Rory did what he had to do, but that style of fighting; do only what you need to get the win. damn to think that it can be another 5 or more years of it, I'm ready to turn my back to 170 and forget it even exists in the UFC.
I'm not an Ellenberger fan but I was disappointed with how easily he was neutralized.

My main problem was his excuses after the fight, basically when he said "If I had a few more minutes I would have finished him" No. No you wouldn't have. You had absolutely no intention of taking any risks in that fight so why lie? I dislike GSP's style but I've accepted it mainly because that's his style and he makes no bones about it. You don't see GSP promising KO's... He's going to get it done regardless of how unappealing it is for the fans and he won't pretend that it was ever going to go any other way.

If Rory is going to continue to portray this creepily intense guy who wants to embarrass his opponents and punch their lifeless bodies or whatever he says then he needs to back it up every time. If your plan is to take no chances and play it safe then don't even think about ********ting the fans because it just insults our intelligence.

I dislike him but the performance doesn't change my opinion. He's a beast with seriously scary potential.

Well said gregory. Rory's job first and foremost is to win. Rory is not only the future champion but he will be able to sustain his title reign for a long time. Like I said before guys like Ellenberger and Hendricks have the power but when they can't get a KO they are average at best. Not every single fight is going to be a highlight reel KO or a slick submission. If you are unable to appreciate the details of a fight like cutting angles and great footwork maybe MMA isn't your sport. YouTube has backyard brawls where you'll find plenty of KO's.

Rory won and lost last night. He won by getting an undeniable top 10 win but also lost by damaging his brand with the lack luster fight on one of the biggest stages UFC offers. Jake was the biggest loser of the night by losing in such a lack luster fashion. Especially after all the trash talk between the 2. He just seemed ready to let Rory walk awat with the fight.

Ellenberger has skills outside his power. He just waited way too long to shoot for a takedown

@amp yeah Ellenberger has wrestling but he really has no idea how to use his striking to set it up. I think he would benefit from better coaching at a different gym. 

In the right column I see I've never picked against Rory, 6 picks, 5-1.  Only miss was against Condit.

I disagree with Gregory on one thing. Rory MacDonald didn't shut Ellenberger down. Ellenberger froze. Ellenberger didn't fight like how Jake Ellenberger usually fights, and I agree with Dana White, Ellenberger froze and MacDonald did nothing with it. Also from what I saw in the third round, MacDonald had no defense for the takedown that Ellenberger scored.

Is Rory MacDonald a great fighter? Possibly, but last night's performance showed me otherwise, and it goes right up there with Anderson Silva/Demian Maia, GSP/Jake Shields, Lyoto Machida/Dan Henderson, and Gray Maynard/Clay Guida as lackluster fights in MMA go.

Is Rory MacDonald the future at 170? Not if he fights guys like Robbie Lawler, Johnny Hendricks, Carlos Condit, and Demian Maia the way that he fought Jake Ellenberger last night. Robbie Lawler would've came after the Rory that fought last night and put him out in the first round. Same can be said for Hendricks. The Rory that fought Ellenberger last night would've been KTFO'd by Carlos Condit, and this time it wouldn't be a come from behind KO like the last fight. As easily as Ellenberger scored that takedown in the third round, Demian Maia would've capitalized on that takedown all fight long, and would've got the UD or submission against the Rory MacDonald who fought last night.

So far all Rory MacDonald proved to me last night, is that he's overrated and overhyped. He's far from being the future at 170. He's got more to prove from last night's victory than what he did from his loss to Carlos Condit. His three biggest victories to date are his lackluster, boring, "that's 15 minutes of my life I'll never get back", ridiculous display of anything even resembling mixed martial arts victory over Jake Ellenberger, BJ Penn and Nate Diaz who both fight at 155. Not a resume that says, "Here is the future at 170" if you ask me.

Don't get me wrong, Ellenberger is just as much to blame for last night's fight. If there's anything that's more pathetic than a boring victory, it's being the loser in a boring fight and being the main cause of the fight being so boring in the process.

MacDonald and Ellenberger both have a lot to think about with their time off until their next fight. They need to figure out what they can do to turn their last performance around and get away from being labeled in the same category as the Jon Fitches, Clay Guidas, Ben Akrens, and Carmello Marreros of MMA. There's Lay 'n' Pray, Wall 'n' Stall, and now thanks to MacDonald/Ellenberger we have Wad 'n' Prod.

Respect for MacDonald? Not from me, not right now. I was already hater of Rory MacDonald before last night's fight. His fight with Ellenberger just cemented my opinion of the guy that much further. There's an old saying in my line of work, "It takes 7 attaboys to make up for 1 Oh ****." For both MacDonald and Ellenberger, last night's fight was one big OH ****!!!!!

@ p4pgoat - Do you think that Chuck Liddell, Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Shogun, Rampage, Nick Diaz, BJ Penn, JDS, Cain Velasquez, Chris Leben, KZ, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Urijah Faber, and Forrest Griffin are so loved by MMA fans because their first job is to win? ********!!!! Their first job is to fight!!!! More fighters with not-so-great records, but exciting styles are what put the fans butts in the seats, and they get far more respect than the fighters that just win. People will brag more about a fighter who loses an exciting fight, that a fighter who wins a boring one.

Do you think that fight fans around the world go, "Man did you see that decision????? That was the most exciting decision I've ever seen. I was so glad to see those guys dance around and do nothing all fight long." Are the videos labeled, "UFC's Greatest Wall 'n' Stalls" or "UFC's Greatest Lay 'n' Prays"? No. Fans walk around for months saying "did you see that brutal knockout!!!!", "that was the craziest submission", "Those guys went after each other all fight long, and they left it all in the cage." The highlight videos are titled "UFC's Greatest Knockouts" and "UFC's Greatest Submissions".

People love a great technical fight, but MacDonald/Ellenberger was nothing close to that. MMA fans love a great technical fights and knock down drag out brawls that go to decision, but they worship the finish.

I disagree with Greg's opening post. You're giving way too much credit to Rory MacDonald for something he didn't do; he didn't neutralize Ellenberger, Ellenberger's head got to him. The trash talk definitely affected him in one way or another.

"The precise jab, the distance, the footwork... he's a handful."


Really Gregory? All you did was repeat the **** Goldberg and Rogan said on commentary. He had a solid jab (as always) but please, break down this excellent footwork and distance management you claim Rory used in yesterday's fight. Don't just say the **** everyone else is saying and expect it to mean something.


I wish I saw the handful of distance and footwork you so have claimed to see, because I didn't see that. I saw an uncommitted Jake Ellenberger waiting to counter with single strikes for some reason. I saw Jake Ellenberger successfully close the distance in the fight twice and not attempting it again when it was successful anyway out of fear of what could potentially happen. I saw Ellenberger slip the jab but failing to throw that leaping left hook that he landed once in the first round successfully.


As for footwork, I actually spotted something that could potentially be taken advantage of if Rory were to fight GSP or Carlos Condit. When Rory MacDonald enters boxing mode, his feet both face the right to elongate his jab as far as possible. This is also seen in the Diaz brothers and BJ Penn. While it makes Rory's jab longer, it makes him significantly more susceptible to being off-balance, getting taken down and it makes his legs so much more weaker when it comes to taking leg kicks.


But please, if you Greg or anyone else wants to argue about this so-called amazing distance management and footwork than by all means, do so.

@jaykool man I think you've gone off the deep end a bit. I respect your opinion because you are one of the more level headed posters on this site but I couldn't disagree with you more. All I will say is there are tons of fights that go to decision that are awesome. The FOTY so far in 2013 was a decision (Bermudez/Grice) and basing a fight on just how it ended on if it was exciting or not is total craziness. Was the Rory fight exciting last night? No it wasn't but is Rory known for having lack luster performances? No not at all. Not everyone has the most exciting fight every time out. You're also totally wrong about fighters that win don't put butts in the seats. Whether fans are cheering for or against a fighter who wins a lot they still show up. 

I understand it's different strokes for different folks and some just want to see a devastating KO every time or a crazy submission but the reality is that's not always going to happen. For me I could care less about how it ends, I'm more into seeing how it gets to the end. 

Sorry guyz, i cant be objective on this thread ..